Governor-operated valve mechanism



-Aprl 14; 1925.

H. w. NEWBERG Y uovsnupn ram'rzn miv: uscwxsl Find Aug. 29. 1921 Patented Apr. lll, 1925.

'UN-iran STATES l,533,2tlfi PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH W'. NEWBERG, OF CHESTER,VPENNSYIJVANIA., ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA,

GOVERNOR-OPERATED VALVE IJIECHANISM.

Application filed August 29, 1921.. `Serial No. 496,569.

To all who-m, t may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH lV. Nnwenee, a citizenof the United States, and a resif dent of Chester, in the county o f Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented "a new and useful Improvement in Govyernor-Operated Valve Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

l My inventionA relates to a governor-operated valve mechanism for prime movers and it hasfor its object `to provide apparatus of the character designated including r a relatively simple and durable valve and an operating connection between the governor and the `valve which shall not require precise alignment of parts to secure good operation.

Apparatus embodying' features of my invention is illustrated on the accompany- `ing drawing, forming a part of 4this application, in which the single figure shows a turbine in section with my improved governor-operated valve mechanism applied thereto. 1 v

.In connection with prime movers, more particularly of the small, high-speed type, for example, locomotive headlight turbines, trouble has. been experienced with the governor-controlled, motive-fluid admission valves due to the rapid wear thereof which `takes place principally on account of cut- `.ting `thereof by the motive fluid.

Accordingly, I have devised a motivei'luid admission valve for apparatus of the characterv designated which is more durable and therefore renders the apparatus more reliable in operation. My motive-fluid 'admission valve comprises a seat member anda ball member which is freely movable in all directions so as to present different surfaces for contact with the seat member; and, due to this movement of the ball member, the latter is not as likely to become steam cut as an admission valve of the old, or conical, type. lA valve member of the ball vtype may be made of any desired hard material, for example, hard steel, cheaply and witha highdegree of accuracy.

In accordance with my invention, the ball member of the valve is opened by the pressure of motive fluid and such ball member is moved toward its seat by governor meehanism when the prime mover exceeds a predetermined speed. I have devised a transmitting connection to transmit the movement of the governor to the ball mem- Aber tomove the latter toward its seat which .shall properly operate even though the ber of the valve.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing for a detailed description of my invention, I show an elastic-fluid turbine of any suitable type which comprises a rotor and a cylinder or casing 11. For example, the rotor may have an overhanging flange 12 provided with an interior annular series of buckets 13 supplied with steam from a nozzle and a reversing chamber member 14;, which, in turn, is supplied with steam from the passageway 15 provided in t-he cylinder or casing element.

Steam enters the passageway 15 from any suitable supply member 16 and the passage thereof into the passageway 15is under the control of a Suitable valve comprising a ball-valve member 17 and a ball-valve seat bushing 18. The ball-valve seat bushing is provided with a central bore which communicates, at one end, with the supply member 16, and, at the other end, with passageway 15, the bore being enlarged so as to constitute an appropriate seat for the ballvalve member. Ports 19 are provided in the ball-valve seat bushing adjacent to the seat portion in order to provide for the ready entrance of steam into the passageway 15. The ball-valve member is opened to allow the passage of steam to the passageway 15 due to the pressure of the steam and it is moved toward the seat by a suitable push rod 20 when the weights 21 of the governor fly out, thereby resulting in motion of the governor spindle 22 to thc right which acts through the transmitting ball 23, carried by a socket 28 secured to the governor spindle 22, to transmit its motion to the push rod and to the ball valve member 17.

The casing or cylinder 11 is preferably provided with bores and 26, communieating with the steam passageway 15, the bore 25 being adapted to receive the ball valve seat member or bushing 18 and the lll?) lio bore 26 being adapted to receive the member v27 which constitutes a steam-tight bushing for the pusli rod 20.

It will be obvious that, as the push rod 20 is not positively connected to the governor spindle 22 nor to the ball-valve member, the ball-valve seat member 18, the bushing 27, and the governor spindle need not be in alignment for the reason that theball connection betweeny the governor spindle and the push rod and the manner of contact of the push rod with the ball-valve member 17 will permit of lateral adjustment of 'the push rod with respect to these parts to take caire of any incidental in- 'a'c'curacies From the foregoing, the operation `of appara'tus made -in accordance with my invention will be obvious.l Steam is admitted to `the passageway 15 by means of the ball valve whose ball-valve member 17 is under 'the control of the governor carried'by the rotor. If therotor should tend to exceed its normal speed, the weights 21 thereof will fly lout resulting in movement of the "governor spindle 22 tothe right and the consequent movement of the ball-valve inember 17 toward its seat to 'restrict the supply 'of steam -to thel passageway 15. If the speed should drop, the governor spindle 22 will move vtoward the left and the steam pressure `-behind the ball-valve 'member 17 will be suflicient to vmove the latter and the Ipush vrod 20 toward the left in order to vsupply an increased quantity of the steam `to the passageway `15, the steam being readily supplied to the latter `by means of the 'radiating steam ports 19 provided in the ball-valve lseat member 18. In operation, sthe ball-valve member 17 is free 5to turn in 'all directions to present an infinite number of portions Ito contact withV the seat member 18 -and thus lessons the liability of the valve `member to become steam cut as vcompared with the old type of valve having a single seating portion, thereby increasing` the durability thereof and making the turbine a more reliable machine. As already pointed out, since the valve member is of the ball form, it may lhe cheaply -produced with va high degree of accuracy and of any desired hard material.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I i have provided valve mechanism for prime onlyA such limitations shall be placed there- `upon as are imposed by the prior ait or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

lllhat I claim is:

1. In a prime mover, the combination of a ball valve for controlling the admission of motive fluid to the prime mover, said valve being moved in an openingdirection by motive fluid pressure, speed-responsive means, a push rod for moving the valve in a closing direction, and a ball contact connection between the sp'eedaesponsive means and the push rod.

2. In combination with an elastic-fluid turbine, a governor having a spindle, an elastic-Huid ball admission valve moved in an opening direction by motive-fluid pressure, a push rod contacting with the valve member, and a ball contact connection between `the governor spindle and the push rod.

3. In combination with an elastic-fluid turbine, a governor having a spindle, a push rod, av turbine member provided with a motive fluid supply passage and 'opposedL openings communicating with the passage, a motive-fluid admission member having a portion fitting within one of the openings and provided with a valve seat, a ball valve cooperating with the seat, a push rod for moving the ball valve toward its seat, a bushing arranged within the' `opposed open ing and affording a fluid tight joint with respect to the push rod, land a `ball contact connection between the push trod and the governor spindle.

l. In combination with an elasticdluid turbine, ya governor carried thereby and provided wiith a spindle, and elastic-fluid admission valve including a ball member arranged approximately inline with the gov-- ernor spindle, said valve being opened by lluid pressure fthereagainst, a push rod adapted to Contact with the Aball member for thepiirp'ose of moving the latter to restrict the flow of elastic fluid. and a transmitting connection ybetween the push rod and the governor spindle including a second loose ball member.

'5. In a turbine, the combination of a steam inlet terminating in a valve seat arranged coaxially oli the turbine,a ball valve member cooperating with the seat and tend- `ing to be `unseated by the steam, a push rod HUGH Il?. NEWBERG. 

